October brings welcome season change

October 05, 2007

October is the month when the world seems to change overnight. In the beginning there are still some leaves on the trees, but by the end of the month all of the trees have bared themselves, bracing for winter. It is the month for pumpkins, fall festivals and the last hurrah before the holiday seasons begin. I've always liked October and the changes it brings. The children have settled in to school, and to them it already seems like a never-ending school year. Winter clothes are brought out of storage and the days of shorts and short sleeves are pretty much over. There might or might not be a snowfall - or worse, an ice storm, followed by snow. It's actually the Forrest Gump of months because you never know exactly what you're going to get. April is kind of that way but, in this part of the country, October is the most changeable. If you wanted to compare October to a person, it would be a psychiatrist's version of a schizophrenic. By October, everyone is starting or has already winterized cars and the garage has been cleaned out to hold the vehicle again. For some it is an exciting month. For others, it is a depressing one because you know what is soon to follow. The lawn mower is put away and the snow blower is made ready. Local governments make sure there is enough road salt on hand and the plows and graders are in good-working order. Everyone in South Dakota has this routine down by now. Having arrived back in the Dakotas two Novembers ago, it was a culture shock to get back into the cold and snow. I'm just thankful that last winter was relatively mild compared to my years in North Dakota. For farmers, the end of October means the crops are finished being harvested and for the ranchers, it means the hay has been stored and the barns readied. The end of October also means the sun has already started rising and setting much farther south on the horizon. God's Earth tilts away from the sun a little more and the daylight hours continue to get shorter and shorter. Most of the birds that were here in September are long gone by the end of October. Deer are more prone to be in front of your car on a dark night. The pheasant hunt is in full swing with happy hunters everywhere, along with happy motel and sporting goods stores owners. This October, as the last of the leaves fall and the grass has been mowed or mulched for the last time, it's no longer a time to reflect on last summer. It's time to look forward to new things and changes taking place that are not in our control. If October was man-made, we would ruin it. Everyone has his or her own likes and dislikes concerning October and the changes it brings. Whether you like the changes or not, there is nothing to do but enjoy the ride. Travel through October with great expectations for the road ahead. Down the road, in five or six months, the seat you're riding on will eventually warm up again. Curtis Phillips, Bath, is a retired Air Force tech sergeant, former air traffic controller, 911 dispatcher, computer IT and radio broadcaster, now working in customer service. Write to him at American News, P.O. Box 4430, Aberdeen, S.D., 57402, or e-mail americannews@aberdeennews.com. Curtis Phillips